


falling like the stars

by lifeisadoozy



Series: dousy song fics [5]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Song fic, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:53:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28027341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lifeisadoozy/pseuds/lifeisadoozy
Summary: Coulson woke up to find that he's in a time loop that only Daisy could remember. He watched the way Daisy and Sousa are with each other.
Relationships: Phil Coulson & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Skye | Daisy Johnson/Daniel Sousa
Series: dousy song fics [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2048267
Comments: 10
Kudos: 62





	falling like the stars

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I tried to write the first few loops from 7x09 in Coulson's POV. The song for this one is "Falling Like the Stars" by James Arthur. Hope you'll enjoy!

Daisy’s the first thing he saw when he was switched on. She looked confused and frustrated, while Sousa, who was standing slightly behind her, was concerned. Coulson didn’t understand what happened. Until he did. Time loops. Groundhog Day. All the fun stuff. But before he could reply to her explanations, lights flickered, and the whirring starts. 

“Well, we’ll see soon then if your theory’s right.” Daisy looked at Sousa while he nodded. 

“I hope it is. It doesn’t sit well with me if you’re in this alone.” Coulson watched as they talked to each other. There’s something there. If you squint. All he ever wanted for Daisy was happiness and if Sousa’s it, then he’ll be glad too. 

Coulson had admired Sousa since he learnt about the first fallen agent of SHIELD back in the Academy. But after learning about how he carried Daisy home from the barn, from Malick, while limping, that admiration grew. Daisy’s like a daughter to Coulson and knowing that she has someone there when she needed it, brought a sense of relief to him. Because he was thinking about turning himself off at the end of this mission. Still contemplating about it. Being an LMD, a robot, essentially, wasn’t something on his bucket list. He was happy with dying. He was happy that he had the chance to live after his first death. He was happy even though his time with May was short, they made the most of it. 

***

He looked up and saw Daisy again. She had that questioning look on her face. 

“What just happened? Where’s Sousa? Is this another loop entirely?” 

“So, you _do_ remember. We’re the only two who remembers each loop. Sousa was right.” 

“But why us?”

“His theory was that we were the only ones asleep in the _futuristic pod thingy_.” Daisy saw Coulson’s eyebrows raised up, wondering why she didn’t just say ‘hyperbaric chamber’. “His words, not mine. Spent too much time with the guy.” That last bit though, Coulson was sure she meant it for herself. But he couldn’t help being the nosy dad. 

“So, you and Sousa, huh?”

“What? Okay, no. _No_. We have a problem here and we’re _not_ going to talk about— _that_.” 

Coulson put his hands up in defense. She has a point. They need to solve this and figure out why this is all happening. 

“Deke mentioned a time storm? Something about circling the drain. If we don’t get out of it, we would cease to have ever existed.”

“How far away are we from the vortex?” Coulson needed to know so they could figure out how long they’ve got.

“I-I’m not sure. I’ll tell you in the next loop. But can we—” 

Before she could finish, she was interrupted, “Daisy. You should be resting. Is-is something wrong?” 

Coulson took a step backwards as he watched them speak. This was something else, he mused. Sousa apparently slept on a stiff chair beside Daisy’s healing chamber, if his hand massaging his neck was anything to go by. It’s odd. Whatever they are. Daisy would look at him in awe and wonder and he would look at her with admiration and _what is that_ , love? Coulson couldn’t wrap his head around it. 

They had fallen for each other? _When?_ But Daisy wasn’t ready for that, is she? Coulson could tell that she’s falling for him, though. The way she soaked in everything he said, the way she cracked a smile when he spoke in his old-fashioned vocabulary, or the way she would say _square_ in the most loving yet teasing way.

Coulson couldn’t help but be envious of the two of them. Here they are, drifting towards one another while him and May were nowhere in the same radar. Coulson still loved May. He would always love May. But he wasn’t sure if it was the human Coulson’s feeling, or if it was this him. Another problem to add onto that, was the fact that May couldn’t feel anything. She could feel other people’s emotions, but none are her own. 

However, Coulson’s glad that Daisy’s happy. Even if the happiness she found was through a man pulled from his time, and in the middle of a war. When he realized that he was lost in his thoughts, he brought himself back to the situation at hand. Time loops. They need to get out of this vortex. 

“How far away are we from the vortex?” His question was directed at Daisy, obviously because from the look of Sousa’s face, he had no idea what they were talking about. Although, that hint of confusion disappeared as fast as it appeared. 

“286 kilometers away.”

“Okay. So, we need to know the amount of distance covered in a loop. In the next loop, you’d have to pay attention to it. If it decreases by 1 kilometer, we have time. But if it’s more than that, we would need to think of something quick.”

“So, you can’t just do this loop thing over and over until you get it right? Practice makes perfect?” Sousa raised a good point. But both Coulson and Daisy knew that they were being pulled into a vortex. That won’t give them much time. 

“No, unfortunately, we can’t. I wish we could. But we’re possibly getting closer to the vortex with each loop.” Daisy explained to him. 

“Well, _that’s_ fun.” 

They took too long to discuss it all, and the lights were flickering, while the whirring started again. 

***

He looked up to see Daisy alone again. Though, Coulson was sure that Sousa would be coming soon. 

“283 kilometers.”

“So, each loop brings us 3 kilometers closer to the vortex. Great.” 

As Coulson predicted, Sousa came right in again, worried about Daisy. It’s refreshing to have someone to worry about her in that way. Coulson wondered if Sousa worries about her because he saw what happened in the barn, or if he had really fallen for her. 

They tried to fly out of the vortex, but everyone except Coulson and Enoch ended up dead. 

***

He looked up to see Daisy and Sousa, just like the first loop he woke up in. 

“You won’t believe me, but we’re stuck in a time loop.” Daisy started.

“Yeah, we’ve covered this already. You died in the last loop.” 

“She _died?_ ” Sousa looked as concerned as Coulson felt when he watched his friends die in front of him. 

“No. I didn’t. How did you know about the time loops? I’ve only gone through like, 3 of them trying to figure it out.” 

“Wait. You don’t remember.” Then, Coulson thought of something. “You died. That’s why you don’t remember. What’s the number? How far are we from the vortex?” 

“I think Deke said around 274 kilometers.”

“Okay. We need to get back on solving this.”

“Did you guys try to take out the time drive? If it’s a time loop, then it’s like a record skipping, right? So, if you take out the record, the skipping would stop. Does it not work that way?” 

“Sousa, you’re a genius! If we’re not in the middle of a crisis, I would kiss you right now.” And once Daisy realized how it sounded, she backtracked, “I-I mean—”

To save her from embarrassment, though Coulson thought that Sousa wouldn’t have minded, he interrupted them, “That could work. Let’s do it.” 

The blush on their faces were something. Sousa couldn’t help but bring his hand onto the back of his neck, while Daisy kept wringing hers. _Ah_ , young love. Coulson shook his head. These two are _something_ alright. 

They tried to take the time drive out, but it backfired. Sousa was the closest to it and caught a metal rod onto his side when it created a small explosion. 

“ _Hey._ Hey, Sousa. You-you’re gonna be fine. It’ll reset. It _has_ to reset. Coulson, why isn’t it resetting? Sousa. Stay awake, okay? Stay awake.” 

Coulson stood to the side watching the scene unfold. Daisy had a hand on Sousa’s side after taking out the rod. She was trying to apply pressure to stop the bleeding, while the other hand was on Sousa’s. Her grip on his hand was slightly tighter than his on hers. Coulson watched as Daisy’s eyes were puffed and red from crying. He watched as Sousa tried to cheer her up. Telling her that it’ll be fine. At least she wasn’t the one who died. At least her memories won’t be rewritten. He watched as Daisy placed a kiss onto Sousa’s forehead, while he closed his eyes, a ghost of a smile on his lips as his heartbeat stopped. 

Daisy looked up to Coulson, her eyes empty, broken. Coulson thought that watching Daisy cope with Lincoln’s death was bad, when she was crying and screaming and breaking her own bones. But this, _this_ was worse. She made no noise. Tears kept rolling down her cheeks. Her energy was taken away from her. She didn’t move. Stayed still. Quiet. Even as he made his way to her, she looked back down to Sousa and stayed silent. 

“Daisy.” 

She looked up again. Her eyes were eerily hollow. She didn’t speak. Lights started to flicker. 

“It will reset. He’s going to be okay.”

Coulson pulled her close to him, but her hands were on Sousa. The whirring was the only sound he could hear. 

***

He looked up to see Daisy alone. Her eyes were no longer red. But it was still empty. Still broken. 

“He’s asleep. Breathing. I-I can’t lose anyone anymore, Coulson. I don’t know why I’m reacting like this. He-he’s just some _guy_. We-we don’t know each other well. Wh-why did his death affect me this much?” 

Coulson didn’t know how to answer that. He should’ve seen it coming. After Lincoln, Daisy closed herself off. Didn’t want to condemn anyone else to that fate. At least, that’s what Coulson thought. 

“I—he took me by surprise. I thought I was done with all these feelings stuff. But when I woke up back in that pod, with him asleep right there, I wanted to hold him close like I didn’t want to let go. And I don’t understand why.” 

“Daisy. You know exactly why.” Coulson knew that feeling. He felt it with May too. The way he wanted to hold onto her, how she would pull him close, guide him home. That’s what Daisy’s feeling. But she didn’t realize she had fallen for Sousa. 

“But how?” 

“You’ve fallen hard and fast, Daisy. I don’t know how or when it started. But I could see it. Are you okay with it?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t think I’ve fallen for him. I mean—we’ve only known each other for a few days. There’s no way I’m in love with him.” 

“Sometimes, people fall for each other fast and you can’t stop them. You have to cherish the time you have with him. Don’t-don’t make the same mistakes I did. Take a chance. Even if it’s scary. I know you’ve been hurt. But I’ve also seen how happy Sousa made you. And there’s no way I would let him hurt you. Hell, the team would make sure he doesn’t hurt you.” 

That earned a half-hearted chuckle from her. They’re falling like the stars. Fast. Heart first. Coulson could only hope that she won’t be too scared to say those three little words to Sousa. He knew, deep down, that that man wouldn’t hurt her. She’s safe with him. 

It’s weird. Coulson could see it. Daisy and Sousa living an ordinary life. Four kids and no sleep. Big house, with a backyard, it would be nice. Maybe if they do make it work, Coulson could be the honorary grandpa for their kids, if he decided _not_ to turn off at the end of all this. May could be the honorary grandma. He knew that Daisy sees May as a mother, and him as a father. They could have each kid on each knee. Bouncing them, hearing their giggles. He could picture it. 

“Daisy. What are you doing out of that bed? You should be resting.” Sousa came in panting. Did he search for her in every room before this one? Coulson wouldn’t be surprised if he did. Because he knew that without Daisy, Sousa would probably lose his way. 

Daisy looked at Sousa like she was reborn. She smiled, walked towards him, placed her hands on his chest as her right hand was pressed over his heart. Coulson saw the way she closed her eyes in relief, to feel Sousa alive and his heart thumping the way it’s supposed to. Coulson saw the way that tiny gesture brought a smile to Sousa’s face, but also how it brought Daisy back to life. 

When she opened her eyes, she looked back at Sousa’s. It was as if they were communicating through them. Coulson hoped that they were saying _I love you_ to each other. Because if anyone deserves happiness amidst the chaos, it’s those two. It may be too late for Coulson and May, but Daisy and Sousa? Those two were meant to be. 

He could only smile. 

(In the next loop, she died, and she forgot about the whole thing. Coulson thought he should tell her about this. Yet, he decided against it. He knew that those two would come together sooner or later. It’s what soulmates do, even though he didn’t believe in soulmates. They would always find each other. Fitzsimmons did. So would Daisy and Sousa. _If only May and I could find our way back to each other_ , he thought. But chose to not dwell on it further.)

**Author's Note:**

> Writing from Coulson's POV was harder than I thought it would be. I hope I did okay. Thanks for reading!


End file.
